After falling in love with her incredible writing on Addie La Rue, I was surprised to find V.E. Shwab’s The Shades of Magic series on Kindle Unlimited. I devoured all three books in about a week (#cliffhangers). There is royalty, pirates, elemental-based magic, battles for good versus evil, and beautiful relationships. The series focuses on five main characters: Kell Maresh, Lila Bard, Holland Vosijk, Rhys Maresh, and Alucard Emery (he might be minor, but I love him, so I am bumping him up), and through the three books, we watch them confront their flaws and the danger of the world around them. Without giving too much away Kell and Holland act as messengers/ travelers called Atari Traveling between 3 parallel but very different Londons. With Lila, Rhy, and Alcucard’s help, they confront an evil force trying to tear down the walls between all three worlds.
This series is fantasy, where 1820 London coexists alongside three other Londons each with varying levels of magic. The world building is wonderful with complex layers that expand with each book. The detailed web perfectly sets up the third book’s ending without leaving the reader with too many lingering questions. The parallel Londons have different languages, rulers, and levels of magic.
A tournament of magic draws visitors from abroad, and both Kell and Lila desire to compete. However, dark magic is attacking Kell’s beloved Red London. Along with Lila and Alucard, they begin to develop a plan to defeat it.
Find Book Two: A Gathering of Shadows:
The characters are so beautifully written that a large part of my love for this series is how well they are constructed.There are so many overlapping dynamics in their relationships, from the possession of literal magical powers to those of rank in court and at sea.. Friends, brothers, lovers (MF and MM), navigating parents and mentors there are so many entangled bonds. Schwab makes her characters frustratingly flawed that you are both amazed at how real they seem but also want to tell them off. This series is marketed as both adult and YA, but I think it is appropriate for YA (16+, there is mild violence and some closed-door romantic implications).
The series continues with The Fragile Threads of Power (review coming soon)